Sibling Rivalry
by Chiriru
Summary: Sometimes you need your brother. To snark on. AUish KaraCutter? ChlarkChlois


Spoilers: All of S3 for SV; Supergirl issues 0-80;  
Notes: This is a total remix so, y'know, take above warning with a grain of salt. ;)

* * *

Kara Kent tapped her fingers on her desk. Leesburg was supposed to be her first big town of adventure (and she could understand her parents reluctance to have both of their children live all the way in Metropolis, _really_) but it wasn't proving any more interesting than Smallville.

It was boring. Er. Boring-er.

'_Much with the boring?_'

Kara gnawed on the pen in her mouth.

It had been Mattie's idea to set up the private-eye offices their senior year of high school. It had been a hard sell to her father; after her brother, anything that used powers in a non-spandex-covered manor was a no-no to Jonathan Kent. Never mind that half the reason her elder sibling was Kerth-worthy was due to something known as 'x-ray vision.'

The other half was _obviously_ Lois Lane who had been padding his writing since high school.

But Mattie had pointed that out to her parents about three weeks after graduation. While her father might not have wanted to accept that his 'baby doll' had out grown the Torch offices like Clark had before her, it had happened and (also like Clark) if she wanted to continue to help people she would need a place to work independently. Plus, she could help people with normal, every day problems and live off of it.

It was, in Kara's mind, a good thing. Luckily, Martha Kent was a woman of similar thinking. That had led her and Mattie to Grandville, and then out here to Leesburg.

_'And boredom.'_

The phone rang barely two times before she answered it.

"Angel Investigations: We help the hopeless."

"Liar."

She could hear the smile curling in his voice as she swiveled around in her chair. "I'm not lying. People need help and I help them."

Clark voice was patchy - he was on a cell phone. "I suppose the next thing you'll tell me is that you have somehow become a vampire between now and last week?"

"A vampire with a soul," she said, propping her feet on her desk, "Don't forget the soul."

"And I didn't notice it-" there was a pause and she could hear the traffic of Metropolis for a second "...why exactly didn't I notice it?"

"I think it was Lois. I mean, it could have been Lex but that was kind of last month. So, I'm betting it's Lois."

Clark's voice dropped for a second. "It's not about Lois, Kar."

"So it's about realizing that Lois is really Chloe then?" she asked brightly, scribbling doodles on her memo pad.

His voice was sharp. "No."

She kept her tone light. "Just checking."

Clark's voice took on a incredulous tone and she could picture her older brother's expression perfectly - brow creased, lips curling downwards, arms folded across his chest. "When did you get to be so mean?"

"When did you get so broody?"

"Hey." In her minds eye she could almost see him pace across her office. "I'll have you know I was brooding long before you were born."

"And I'm sure that's why you are so good at it."

Noise of the bull pen started picking up on his phone. "I don't tease you about your love-life." He paused enough just to have her squirm in her chair. "How is Cutter by the way?"

"I wouldn't know. Especially as I'm not interested in him. He's like Lex with a beard. And less kryptonite."

"That's kind of why Lois pegged him as your type." She could hear the grin - this time smarmy, not amused - his voice again.

"Well, you can tell Lois that she's just...wrong."

He snorted. "You tell Lois that she's wrong."

"What, are you afraid of your would-be girlfriend?" She nearly giggled at his pregnant pause.

"...we are talking about the same Lois...right?"

Kara snickered. "Aren't we?"

"We _could_ be talking about a florist in Iowa."

"Oh," she said nodding to Mattie as she came back from her lunch break, "I suppose so. After all, we all know how much you _love _botany."

"That's me, a total plantaholic."

"Clark, I want to let you in on a little secret."

"Really."

"You?"

"Mm-hm?"

"Are a really bad liar."

"Thank you, Captain Obvious."

"Any time. So... is there any real reason why you called?"

Clark snorted. "Can't I just call to check up on my little sis?"

"Uhm. No. Ulterior motive. Spill it. Right now."

Lois's harsh whispers weren't quiet audible (stupid wimpy cell phone mic), but her motions for the phone were. "I'll.. I will. Lois, stop it. Lois. _Lois!_"

"See?" Her tone was bright. "I told you it was Lois. When it's you and brooding, it's always Lois. Lana is all mope-ish and Lex is always all barely-repressed rage."

"...hey!"

"I'm just saying you are predictable. Including the calling for ulterior motives that you've yet to clarify."

"Well, it's just that I've kind of, sort of have an extra invitation to the," he heaved a sigh, "the LuthorCorp opening of Star Labs next week and Lois was thinking you'd like to come with us will you knock it off, Lo? and meet Dr. Hamilton now that you've kind of joined the family business and you really, really don't have to go because, I know, Lex is kind of the scum"

Kara sat up. "I'll need to get a dress."

"ou don't have to go, you know, I mean you could always stay home. Or, go up with Wally to take a tour of the new station before orientation next week. You know, that's what you should dostop it!"

Kara could hear Lois in the background - _You are being absolutely awful, Clark._

"I agree with Lois."

"That's not fair."

"Oh, get over it already."

"You really should go visit before it opens for business."

"Yeah, yeah. We can check out the super friends afterwards. I'm sure Lois would like a look around too."

"Justice. League."

"Clark, dude, you are all friends. Ya'll have super powers. I rest my case."

"You." She could hear traffic again, with the addition of Lois' heels - lunch break. "I was wrong. You really are a vampire. A soul-less one."

"Well as long as you don't have someone stab me with a big pointy and send me to hell, I don't think that bothers me too much."

"Maybe I should mention that we're going in with the press core which means we'll be riding with your favorite Leesburg Trib reporter?"

Kara gaped for three seconds flat. "Now who is the soul-less one!"

"Mmm. Lois, as she orchestrated all this..._Ow. Yes that did SO hurt. Fine. but since I've got the voucher from Perry, you'll be pretty hungry._"

"We could tag-team her. For revenge."

"We could."

"It could be fun."

"Uh-huh."

"I don't like Cutter. At all."

"Yep."

"In fact, I'm trying to hook him up with Mattie. Because Cutter and I? So not suited. At all. I mean, reporters are your thing."

"Your vehement denial has been duly noted."

Kara pouted. "When did you get so mean?"

"When did you get so pouty?"

"I'm not pouting."

"Please. You are pouting. I can _hear_ it."

"Don't you have Lex's to save and Lois' to thwart?"

"Fine, obfuscate the issue. I don't care...though my battery is running low. Are you coming in for dinner tonight?"

"Flying out as soon as this workday ends. You?"

"I'm going to be a little late, but, I'll be there. Mom already knows."

"Mom knows everything, that's why she's mom." Kara signed her doodle of Kent farm. "..this lateness doesn't have anything to do with Miss Short, Dark, and Snoopy does it?"

"I'm not telling."

"Yep," she said half to herself, "It's about Lois. I knew it. And I'll tell you why I knew it - _because it's ALWAYS about Lois_."

The smile was back in his voice - the small, doting, brotherly one he seemed to reserve for her alone. "I'll see you at dinner. Later, Kar."

"You'd better tell all then."

"Uh-huh."

"Bye, Clark."

She hung up the phone. A few seconds later she crumpled up her top sheet and tried for a basket - and failed. Twice. She ran her hands through her hair quickly. It had been barely five minutes when the mantra started up again.

_'Bored. bored. Boreditty bored bor'_

Two quick taps on her door frame and she looked up to see her friend in the doorway.

"Lunch?" Cutter Sharp asked. Kara grinned slightly.

Maybe Leesburg wasn't _quite_ so boring. And maybe Cutter Sharp wasn't _quite_ so unappealing.

But it's not like _Clark_ need to know that.

fin-


End file.
